And now, transcribed for tonight's presentation of radio's outstanding theater of thrills,
Suspense.
Tonight, the story of a dancer who's still in her dressing room after the theater is
emptied spends the most terrifying moments of her life.
So now, starring Shirley Mitchell and Vic Perrin, here is tonight's Suspense play, Blind
Date.
The DeMarcos and Mamie had said goodbye.
That left me alone backstage.
I'm always late anyway.
Eight acts on the bill and I'm always the last to leave the theater.
Hiya, cutie.
What do you mean coming into a lady's dressing room without night?
I never heard of a cowboy who didn't know how to say, are you decent?
Oh, relax.
Take it easy.
We can't all be double jointed.
What do you want?
He's outside.
Who's outside?
Oh, some John you won't like.
Says he's got a date with you.
Oh, baby, you're closing tonight.
Tomorrow you'll be in far off Detroit.
And well, you wish you'd done the loop with me once.
Huh.
I'll let you and me go our own service.
I have a date, thank you.
Go out and tell him to come in if you please.
I can't do better than him.
You got talent in those joints.
You need somebody to watch out for you.
In the profession, I mean.
What's a cute little trick like you taking forth billing to a lot of acrobats?
You stick to your cowboy profession and I'll worry about my billing.
Yeah.
Still mad because I tried to kiss you.
Now, Gloria, this is your last night.
I told you before I don't like to be touched by you or anybody else.
Hey, I'm beginning to think you mean it.
Get out of here.
Okay, okay.
But your stage door Johnny ain't gonna be no improvement, believe me.
The idea.
The very idea.
Oh, darn it.
Where'd I put that powder pot?
Oh.
I believe I'm on time.
The clock on the Wrigley Tower has just struck 11.
I'm Vincent Hawthorne.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
And I thought the day wonderful till I saw the night.
Hmm?
Come again?
Not what you expected.
Of course not.
Well, I won't you come in Mr. Mr.
Hawthorne.
Here, let me take your hat Mr. Hawthorne.
Thank you.
I'll only be a minute.
I'm leaving Chicago.
Close tonight, you know.
Detroit tomorrow.
I was delayed with packing and all.
I'm not quite dressed.
There.
That's the props anyway.
A theatrical trunk.
All this is a big thrill to me.
Gloria Lafay, theater rush.
Gloria Lafay, trends in bends.
That's me.
Well, well.
This is my first experience meeting an artist.
Oh.
Gloria.
A lovely name, Gloria.
It fits you.
You're a very lovely girl.
Hmm.
And what have you got there?
It's a flower.
A rose for you.
Here.
Oh, well thanks.
I like roses.
I thought it would look nice in your hair, Gloria.
Oh, yeah.
Thanks.
Thanks a lot.
That's real nice.
Thanks.
For your hair, yes.
And this.
This is something for the two of us.
Is that whiskey?
Oh, hardly.
Champagne.
Paul Roger, 37.
It has a fine bouquet.
Should lend a note of cheer to our little dressing room.
Eh?
See?
Two glasses.
I thought of everything.
Fine wines should always be sipped from crystal.
Don't you agree?
I planned on going out.
Oh, certainly.
But I thought that...
Well, you thought wrong.
Whatever you thought, Mr. Hawthorne.
We aren't staying here.
Now, I'll only be a minute.
I'll finish dressing behind the screen.
Say, um, do you have a minute?
I'm sorry.
Say, um, Mr. Hawthorne.
Yes?
Uh, what's your first name?
Vincent, my dear.
Say, Vincent.
Um, Vincent.
Just so we get everything clear on both sides, um, this is a sort of a funny situation.
I don't know quite how...
Are you concerned because we're having what is called a blind date?
That's it.
I just wanted it to be understood on both sides that I am not in the habit.
But lately, I've been thinking about it.
I'm not sure if I should be.
I'm sorry, Gloria.
I'm sorry my knife frightened you.
I don't know.
I think you'd better go.
Please, Gloria, don't be angry with me.
I'm most anxious to take you to Gregory's where you once went with your mother, dear Diane,
many years ago.
I don't know.
You will have something you didn't have at that time.
Cognac, French cognac.
In a quiet corner by candlelight.
There'll be music.
What does a girl do when she draws a fellow like you?
Why, she has a little glass of wine to celebrate.
Good.
Here we go.
You haven't said anything about my dress.
One for you, one for me.
Oh, thanks.
Here's to a pleasant evening, Vincent.
No, Gloria.
Here's to us.
Okay.
Here's to us.
There.
That's a little better.
Nice.
Vincent, what does somebody like you do for a living?
I was a part of Rembrandt and Morris wine merchants.
Oh.
Gloria, when you bend back like you do and you drink out of that glass, is that wine you
drink?
Oh, no.
That's only colored water.
Did you know that the cork in the bottle is sometimes more expensive than the wine itself?
You don't say.
It's imported from Spain, you know.
That's what costs.
Oh.
Another thing I've wondered about, is it true it's bad luck to whistle in the dressing
room?
Oh, that's silly.
That's a chorus girl superstition.
Artists don't worry about that.
I'm grateful you answered my note this afternoon.
Vincent, why did you send the note to me with those six beautiful Cardoza sisters on the
same bill?
I thought them very ordinary girls, not in the least beautiful.
Not as you are beautiful.
Oh, now.
What made you answer my note?
I had three birds this morning.
Birds?
Tea leaves means good luck.
Then when I got your note, naturally I took it to Mamie.
She does handwriting too.
She said you were a fine gentleman.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have answered you because I've never had a blind date before.
Then I'm most grateful to Mamie.
Well, I think it's just about time we left.
Oh, I don't know, Gloria.
I see you have a portable phonograph.
Travel with it?
It's an old one.
It doesn't work too well.
I've got to have it fixed.
I'm very fond of music, Gloria.
What do you have here?
It doesn't work.
This one, Moonlight Madonna.
It's the music you use in your act.
Let's play it.
I told you the phonograph doesn't work.
All right, now come on.
I think you're wrong, Gloria.
You see?
It works fine, see?
I finished my drink, so come on.
Couldn't we have another one and listen to the record?
No, I've had enough and you've had enough.
Now let's get the...
Must you wear that fur piece?
For your information, Mr. Wiseguy, this fur piece was given to me by Mr. John Meston and
is practically unattainable on today's market.
You just can't get it nowadays.
I can wear this anywhere, anywhere at all.
What I mean, Gloria, is that you can't wear it anywhere.
You can't wear it anywhere.
It's just that I want to see you exactly as you look when you're performing on the stage.
You're so very lovely, Gloria.
You're so lovely.
All that isn't going to make me forget that knife or what you've done.
I'm just a humble man, a human being, same as you.
But I'm lonely, Gloria.
Terribly, unendurably lonely.
Ah, you've got a friend.
Have you put on the costume, Gloria?
Yes.
Here it is.
All right. Take your look, Mr. Hawthorne.
Well?
Lovely.
It's lovely.
All right then. Now I...
Look.
What are you...
What are you doing?
How can you perform without music?
Perform?
Why else would I ask you to put on your costume?
You're going to perform for me.
I'm not putting on a special act for anybody.
You can't imagine, Gloria, the effect it has on me.
Where you twist and turn, slowly, silently,
so slow, so lovely,
and so alone, so very much alone.
Alone? How can I be alone in a theater full of people?
You can be alone in a city of a million people.
You had no one in the theater, Gloria, even though it was crowded.
But now, here, in your dressing room, you have me to watch.
And you can perform for me alone.
Hey! What's the idea of turning off the lights?
All but the ones around your mirror.
That's your spotlight, Gloria.
You're on stage.
Only it's all for me and no one else.
Don't... don't scream again.
Don't scream whatever you do.
It upsets me.
If... if... if...
If I do my act for you,
if... if I do it just the way I do it on stage, only... only just for you,
if I do it for you like that, will you go away?
Yes, Gloria.
That's all I want you to do.
Just as if you were on stage.
All... all right.
All right, sure.
Sure.
That's right, Gloria.
Graceful.
Very graceful.
Slowly.
Why can't you do it for me? Why? Why?
You weren't clumsy in the theater when all those other people were watching.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
It's such a small room.
Never mind. Never mind.
Go on. Go on.
Go.
Yes.
Yes, that's right, Gloria.
Easy.
Slowly, remember.
Slowly.
I can't! I can't! I can't!
No matter what you're gonna do and I don't know what it is,
I just can't go on with my act anymore.
I just can't do it.
I'm a decent, self-respecting girl.
And I accepted your invitation.
I thought you were gonna be nice because of your handwriting.
And you've got me so scared I don't...
No matter what I do or say, I can't seem to please you.
Why can't you go away?
Why don't you just get out of our dressing room and leave me alone?
I hate you! I hate you! You understand?
I hate you!
You hate me?
Well, let me tell you something.
Every girl with a nice dress and pretty face hates me, Gloria.
I don't care anymore.
I was lonely and I went to the theater and I saw you there on stage
and I thought you were beautiful.
I thought if I could see you alone in that same old costume,
if you wore it just for me and performed just for me,
then I wouldn't be lonely anymore.
That would be enough, but it isn't enough.
Don't... don't come near me.
Don't touch me.
A kiss is the cheapest thing in the world.
No. No, stay away.
A kiss means nothing to you.
But to me it means everything.
Please, no! Stay away!
A kiss would cure my loneliness, Gloria.
I'll never kiss you!
Oh, I think you will.
I think you will.
A knife! Oh, please!
Now...
Now just tilt your head back.
That's right.
Now...
Vincent...
Darling...
What?
I said, darling.
Why did you say that?
What... what would you say if... if I really kissed you?
What do you mean?
You... you said a kiss means everything to you.
Do you want me to really kiss you?
I... I can't believe it.
I... I'd kiss you.
I... I really would, but...
But what?
Gloria?
I'm... I'm afraid of... of your knife.
Do you actually want to kiss me?
Yes.
But the knife scares me.
I... I never meant to use it, Gloria.
Here.
You take it.
Now.
I'll kiss you!
Gloria!
Huck!
What have I done?
They'd been looking for him ever since he left London.
They knew all about him, so they let me go.
Self-defense.
Loneliness is a terrible thing, he said.
Well, no matter how lonesome I get,
I'll never have another blind date,
as long as I live.
Suspense.
In which Shirley Mitchell starred as Gloria
and Vic Perrin as Vincent with Lee Millar as Bill.
And in which the
story of a motion picture producer and a young actress
who finds to her dismay that she has rather more dramatic talent
than even she ever hoped for.
We call it Shooting Star.
That's next week on...
Suspense.
Suspense is produced and transcribed by Norman MacDonald
with music composed by Lucian Morawick
and conducted by Wilbur Hatch.
Blind Date was specially written for Suspense
by E. Jack Newman and Harrison Eggly.
Listen while you work.
Enjoy the second Mrs. Burton Monday through Friday in the daytime
on CBS Radio Network.